


Things They Don't Tell You

by Daiako (Achrya)



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Awkward First Times, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Verse, Painful Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-11-09 05:46:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11098164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Achrya/pseuds/Daiako
Summary: All children in Insomnia, be they alphas, betas, or omegas, learn a bit about sex and mating in school. But, as it turns out, there's a lot that they don't tell you in and a good deal of what they do tell isn't the whole truth. Sex can be messy, painful, uncomfortable. Heats and ruts, and sharing them, aren't nearly as amazing and deep as people insist. Alphas and omegas both have weird, and downright gross, quirks. Love and mating bonds don't fix everything.It all comes down to trial and error in the end.





	1. First Time Knotting Sucks

**Author's Note:**

> A series of interconnected one shots, Ignoct and Promptio in nature, dealing with...well. Weird ABO stuff, as suggested to me on tumblr. The boys think they know things, don't, and stumble their way through it all, hoping for the best.

If Noctis had known that being knotted kind of sucked the first time he wouldn’t have waited until he was 20 to try it out. He would have gotten it out of the way early and moved on with his life. 

There were, as it turned out, a lot of things that were not covered about sex in school. If he’d ever really thought about it he would have realized that the single week long unit during the ‘Bodily and Dynamic Health’ section of Phys Ed couldn’t encompass everything but then he’d never really thought about it. It was only later in life he’d realize that the class barely scratched the surface of what he’d eventually learn through trial and error.

For example no one ever mentioned that one of the more gross parts of being an omega, and going through heats, was ‘purging’. Oh sure, there was talk of ‘Your body will prepare itself in various ways’, but that was the most vague thing Noctis had ever heard, which was saying something considering all the cryptic people in his life. So he’d had no clue that right as his body slid from preheat (which was not the slow spiral up into heat that was advertised, but a week of ravenous hunger, frazzled nerves, and sense gone haywire) into actual heat it did it’s best to empty itself out of everything. Forcefully.

Spending hours being afraid to leave the bathroom, just in case, was not at all in line with the wonderful, affirming, experience his first head had been supposed to be. ‘Your first heat is when you become an adult. It’s a coming of age that you’ll remember forever’ the omega health advisor had said, smiling serenely. ‘When it’s over you’ll be a different person.’

That part had been true enough. When it had passed he’d been tired, sore, chafed, and so out of sorts he’d wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and never come out. He’d felt stretched thin, strange in his own skin, and…low. It was supposed to be a big deal, him being an omega, the first one born in his bloodline since The Rogue Queen. Who, supposedly, had been recluse prone to uncontrolled mood swings and fits. With that in mind he wasn’t sure where the honor was supposed to be.

He hadn’t been able to pull himself from the bed to clean himself up let alone anything else and, when his father had come to check on him, he might have burst into tears he couldn’t control and didn’t understand. It would be days before he felt like eating or speaking or…breathing. And then whatever it was passed and he was fine, in so far as he could be fine after all of that.

It happened, according the physician who’d looked him over after his third heat had ended much the same. Some omegas in some bloodlines had post heat difficulties, caused by hormone levels that dropped too low, for reasons that no one was really sure of. As far as Noctis could tell ‘post heat difficulties’ was a nice way of saying there was something wrong with him. Something with no real solution, aside from heat suppressants so he went into heat less and perhaps the presence of a mate, who could perhaps provide a balancing effect through the bond.

Suppressants were placed in his hand the next day.

Post Heat Difficulties hadn’t been covered in class either.

Sex, with and without knotting, mating, and sharing heats and ruts had been, though not in nearly enough depth. It was all made very clinical and dry for the most part. Sanitized, with so much biological and scientific detail that it had all become a blur of nonsense and internal images that meant next to nothing to Noctis. And were a little horrifying. There hadn’t been anything about how weird and awkward things could get.

Certainly nothing about what being knotted was actually like. He knew it happened, he knew why and how. He knew that, between an alpha and omega, there was no greater act of trust and intimacy, that nothing could bring an alpha and omega closer than that. He knew everyone (adults) said you were supposed to wait for your One, your mate, before doing it. It was serious, not meant to be rushed into casually, and blahblahblah.

He also knew kids in his class, or in the year ahead of him, who said they’d done it. It was always said with secretive smirks and suggestive leers, insistence that it was the best thing ever, mind blowing, and that nothing else was like it. He overheard debates from other omegas, giggling as they compared what their alpha lovers were packing, technique, positions, what was too big and what wasn’t big enough.

He realized eventually even that had been a very cleaned up version of what it really was.

He dated, fooled around with people. There was a beta girl in his senior year, ended when she left the city for college. A beta boy the year after, ending in a shouting match about something he couldn’t remember a week later and a swirl of magic as Noctis warped out of his apartment. A few curious fumblings with Prompto more in the interest of ‘okay, mine does this when I do that, how about you’ than anything else. Some people casually, and discreetly, usually nobles with as much to lose from a scandal as him. No alphas, no knots; he wanted to say that no one caught his eye but it was more like someone had caught his eye and no one else lived up.

Not that he was prepared to acknowledge that consciously.

When Prompto and Gladio started dating (much to Noctis’ amazement. He hadn’t seen that coming at all) he figured he’d get to live vicariously through his best friend. Prompto’s heat came six months after they’d gotten together. Gladio vanished for five days, leaving Nyx Ulric to take over his shield duties in the meantime, and Noctis expected at least something by way of details when it was all said and done.

What he got was a blushing confession that they hadn’t ‘Done that’. Yes, Gladio had stayed with him and yes, it had been ‘nice’ (Noctis has never been so disgusted by the world nice in all of his life) but no, Gladio hadn’t knotted him. They’d talked about it ahead of time, like responsible people, and had decided to hold off. There was a lot of stuff besides that to be done (“A lot.” Prompto had said, red cheeked and glassy eyed. “So much.”) and no reason to rush it.

_“I want you to know I’m disappointed in you.”_

_Prompto grinned at him, too busy riding a post heat high to care. “Why don’t you find your own alpha to hop on and stop trying to get spank bank material out of me?”_

Which brought Noctis to Ignis. Of course Ignis, always always Ignis. 

“I want you to spend my next heat with me.” He forced the words out while they were watching a movie together, hoped his tone was as light and casual as he hoped. Ignis was at the other end of the couch, being obliging as ever and not complaining about Noct’s chronically cold feet being in his lap or the popcorn being hogged or even about them watching the _Agile and Angry_ , part 12, again. His hand was on his ankle, thumb rubbing in absent circles.

“No.”

Noctis nudged Ignis’ stomach with his foot, pouting. “C’mon! It might help with my heat drop-”

Ignis’ thumb tapped against his ankle. “I can come by after, if you wish. An alpha presence can be just as stabilizing after the fact; I’ve thought to suggest it before but I didn’t want to…impose. I know you prefer to be left alone for a time after your heat.” If by alone Ignis meant ‘didn’t want anyone to see what a mess he was’ then yes, that was what Noctis prefered. “And I can loan you some of my clothing if you think the scent-”

Stupid smart Ignis with his stupid logical solutions. “I want to have sex. With you. I want you to knot me.”

It was a credit to Ignis and everything that had passed between them in the years they’d known each other than all the older man did was shot him the blankest look Noctis has ever seen on his face. “I think that’s something best left for someone you care about.”

“I do care about you.” Oh, correction, that was the blankest look ever. Ignis’ eyes shuttered, his mouth lost all tension, his eyebrows settled; there was nothing, no emotion no movement at all, from the alpha. “And. I mean. It’s not like I’m a virgin so I don’t need you trying to preserve my virtue for someone special.”

Ignis blinked slowly, breathed out a faint ‘I see’, and Noctis recoiled, shaking his head empathically. Six help him, this was already not going the way he wanted.

“No! That’s not what I meant. You are special. To me. Because I care about you, a lot.” Noctis knew he was getting loud, drowning out the sounds of tires squealing and cheesy ‘family first’ speeches coming from the tv, but the skepticism on Ignis’ face was painful. It was worth yelling about. “You’re one of my best friends and I trust you more than anyway else. I care about you so much and…oh. Oh!”

Noctis stopped, eyes widening. Ignis’ eyebrow went up. Noctis exhaled sharply as the figurative light bulb went off in his head. It was like something clicked into place in his head, a light turned on, and suddenly he could see everything perfectly. Nothing that he didn’t already know, truly, but things he tried not to think of too often. Or at all.

“I like you.”

Ignis’ eyes rolled heavenward. “Delightful.”

“Iggy, I…it’s-”

Noctis didn’t like to think of himself as a very impulsive person, though some may have disagreed (but they were wrong), but sitting on his couch, very much aware that he did really care for, and about, Ignis, there only seemed one thing to do. He surged up, all but threw himself across the distance between them, and laid what might have been his worst kiss to date on Ignis. Who squawked in alarm, and then hissed in pain when foreheads crashed and teeth clinked.

Kissing after a sudden epiphany worked much better in movies it seemed. Still it was easier than trying to find words. Words had never been Noctis’ ‘thing’, at least not where emotions and explanations were considered.

Ignis took pity on him and, after a second to collect himself and grumble under his breath in annoyance, he let Noctis try again. It went better, much better, and somehow went from short giddy presses of mouth to mouth to lingering, deep contact.

And a loss of clothes, hands touching and grasping, mouths finding sensitive spots, sliding along skin, leaving marks here and there before coming back together.

And Ignis muttering ‘not on the couch’ and, when Noctis whined and rolled his hips to communicate that the couch was actually fine, dragged him off the couch and picked him up. Noctis’ eyes tried to pop out of his head in surprise and thick, dripping heat dripped out of him. Noctis locked his legs around his advisor’s waist and, with all the seriousness the situation deserved, said: “This is the hottest thing ever. I just want you to know that.”

Ignis snorted. “We’ll see.”

Noctis had to admit that being down on his elbows  and knees with Ignis behind him, inside of him, one fine boned hand grasping his hair and forcing his head to tilt back so far he was practically looking at the ceiling, was pretty hot. Hot like Ignis’ cock inside of him, like a brand pushing in deep, stretching him, filling him perfectly. Ignis was good, had pushed and pulled his hips until Noctis was in just the right position, touched and scratched and nipped at him like he knew all the most sensitive parts of him.

Whispered filth Noctis wouldn’t have believed him capable of, yanked at his hair, and even though he started with slow rolls of his hips, dragging out then filling him over and over, he reduced him to broken off words and whimpers in what seemed like no time at all. He felt as if he was burning up inside, sticky heat growing and growing, and oh, Ignis had been holding out on him.

Ignis’ mouth on his cock and fingers twisting inside of him had been pretty amazing as well. And the way his advisor had looked up at him, eyes hazy as he swallowed Noctis’ release with a muffled moan…well.

That had been a near instant revival of the boner that had just begun to go down.

He groaned and shouted, writhed on Ignis’ cock as it fucked into him with hard thrusts that shook the bed. Noctis gripped the sheets tighter, eyes rolling back as the pace became punishing. He could feel Ignis’ cock throbbing inside of him, swelling to become thicker at the base, pushing past his rim then dragging out; sparks crawled up his spine. He moaned wetly, hips rolling back to take the filling knot into his body again.

It was more than good, more than perfect, it was…Noctis was starting to think all that flowery stuff he’d heard had actually be accurate.

And then his stomach tried to turn itself inside out. He hissed as pain, sharp pain, hit him low in his gut, and twisted. Ignis pushed in, knot catching and then forcing past his entrance, wider this time. It hurt, burned as it made his body stretch even further to fit it, and when it dragged out the burn became worse. Noctis bit his lip, blinking hazy eyes, but he couldn’t help but yelp when Ignis’ knot sank into him again.

Ignis went still, an alarmed noise coming from above his head and the grip on his hair became gentle petting. “Noct? Am I…am I hurting you?”

He opened his mouth to reply but another burst of stomach twisting pain stole his words. It radiated out from his core in pulses; he clenched and squirmed, bucked away from Ignis to escape it and the still swelling knot inside of him. It was becoming too much, pushing and forcing him wider inside, pulsing and-

“Fuck!”

Ignis cursed and gripped his hip, held him firmly to keep him from moving. “Wait, Noct, you can’t move, I’m already-”

“It hurts!” He ground out. “Fu-”

“What hurts?” Ignis asked, an edge to his voice. The husky sex soaked growl was gone, replaced by panic. Noctis sucked in a breath, brow furrowing; his stomach turned in on itself again. He gestured to where it hurt the worse, tongue not wanting to form the words he needed. 

Ignis was quiet for a moment and then Noctis was being dragged back, hauled up until his back was against Ignis’ chest. The change in position had him sinking down further on Ignis, whining at the feeling of the alpha’s knot forced to shift and move inside of him. It was pressure, hot throbbing pressure and weight low in his gut, too big, too much, he hadn’t known-

“You said you’ve done this before?”

Noctis squinted his eyes shut against another wave of pain. That was not what he’d said! He’s said he wasn’t a virgin, which was true. If Ignis had assumed that meant he had alpha experience that wasn’t- god that hurt. Why did it hurt? Why did people do this if it felt like this?! It was supposed to be amazing, wasn’t it? Mind blowing?

A hand smoothed over his stomach and pressed; instantly the tightness in his stomach let up. Ignis’ mouth touched his neck, kissed him once and then there were teeth digging in. He jumped, or tried to but a tugging sensation where they were connected made him settle quickly. And then…then a warm feeling spread over him and all at once his body unwound, all tension flowing out of him and with it went the worst of the ache forming inside.

“You are,” Ignis muttered, paused, then sighed. “Just wait a moment.”

Noctis wasn’t sure what he was waiting for. The tie to end? But it wasn’t as if he had any choice, he was stuck splayed over Ignis’, thighs spread wide around the alpha’s, body shaking. So he waited, breathing shallowly. Ignis hummed softly, approvingly, and his hips rocked up against Noctis’ body. The hand on his stomach pressed a little harder, rubbed soothingly.

“Ah! Oh!” Noctis yelped then, when Ignis shifted again, let out a shaky breath. “Hnng.”

“Better?”

“Yeah. That’s…better.” His head dropped back to rest on the older man’s shoulder. “Okay. That is-”

“Hmm?”

“Good.”

Ignis laughed, a little higher pitched than normal. “I’m glad.”

There wasn’t much movement, little swivels and rolls against him from Ignis while Noctis ground back, almost unconsciously. His body clenched around Ignis, in time with a twisting in his belly, and soon enough the alpha was panting into his hair. 

When it was over it happened slowly, almost softly, Ignis sighing quietly as he came inside of him, still rubbing his stomach. They settled on their sides, still very much stuck together, but Noctis didn’t mind so much. Not with Ignis quietly explaining that the first knottings would be uncomfortable, until he was used to it, and that knotting cramps were only bad the first few times.

“Knotting cramps weren’t covered in school.”

Ignis kissed the back of his head. “Try the internet. Or asking someone. Or not implying you’ve done this before and nearly giving me a heart attack.”

“…how long does this part usually last? On average? …I’m kind of hungry.”

Ignis sighed loudly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some non-descript vomiting and shots in this chapter.

Ignis woke up slowly, yawning and blinking into the dim light of the bedroom as sleep peeled away from him. He usually moved between awakeness and sleep quickly, near instantly, and was up with the sun but on days like this, with a warm weight at his side and the smell of heat and sex in the air, his body did as it saw fit. It made him sluggish, unhurried, made it so he had to shake off the tiredness that had seeped into his bones.

Noct’s heat never failed to take all the energy he had to spare and then some. It could take days to get back to his usual self and normally being so out of sorts would set his teeth on edge. Yet, he thought as he shifted and pressed his nose to the back of his boyfriend’s neck, he found he couldn’t mind much.

Noctis grumbled unhappily but otherwise didn’t stir. The heat fever had broken, leaving him cool and a bit clammy with sweat. The sweetness to his scent still lingered, mixed up with everything else and a healthy dose of Ignis’ own scent, something he could only smell when it was on someone else. It made him want to smile, to wrap Noctis up and never let him out of his sight but also show him off, let others see that he was Ignis’ and not theirs. It was his marks that littered pale skin, his scent transferred so thoroughly that Noctis would smell like him for days, his seed that still dripped from his prince’s body, and his knot that had filled him a few hours before.

It was all very inappropriate, silly alpha whims and urges no one had ever told him to expect when he’d found the one he wanted to mate. They were strong desires, always clawing just under his skin, shameful thoughts that made him flush with embarrassment even as his gums ached around his alpha teeth.  He pushed them back but they surfaced nonetheless, grabbed hold and whispered ‘mine’, ‘omega’, mate’, ‘take’, ‘keep’, in the quiet moments. It told him to part Noctis’ legs and have him again, to rouse him from sleep by being inside of him, knotting him, biting into his mating gland.

He didn’t know what to do with those thoughts, those urges. He didn’t consider himself possessive, not really, but being with Noctis challenged all of that.

He was aching as he finally forced himself to let his boyfriend go and rise from the bed. A quick shower, tepid to try and chase the unwelcome arousal away, and the bare minimum of clothing and grooming (so unlike him) and he was padding out to the kitchen. Noctis would sleep a while longer yet and Ignis had things to do to make sure they were ready for the aftermath of his prince’s heat.

There was broth to make, food to prep, laundry to do (so much laundry), special curtains and sheets to attend to, and all the dishes that had accumulated over the past few days to wash. And work that, while allowed to be set aside for the duration of Noct's heat, would need to be caught up on. Noct’s comfort was most important to him and it was best to get to it before the prince awoke and would need him. He’d long since learned that trying to do everything at the same time after a heat was madness. So, as much as he liked to linger in bed with his lover offering comfort while he slept and enjoying that closeness, it was best to use what time he had productively.  

Ignis had always prided himself on being practical. He approached things with both eyes open, tried to keep his personal opinions and perceptions from coloring what he saw, and didn’t let idealistic things sway him. It made him a good tactician. None could argue that his battle insight wasn’t impressive and his ability to employee said insight unmatched. So when it came to bonding, to sharing heats, to *mating* Ignis was not one to get caught up in the romantic musings of other people or, even, himself.

That was why he didn't let the selfish urge to breathe Noctis in, to not move for hours, to take his pleasure in his would be mate in spite of how tired and sore they would both be at the moment, distract him from what needed to be done.

The way people framed finding the one you wanted to make your mate had always made him want to roll his eyes. All that talk of an instant connection, like electricity or the sky opening up during a storm or a hush over taking the world for a few precious moments where all that person could hear was the one they were ‘meant’ for. The way people acted as if bonding fixed all the ills in the world, or at least in relationships. Many a movie and novel had ended with the couple exchanging soft words and deep bites then heading off into the sunset together, all the issues that had brought them to that point magically healed. It was supposed to make you better, more complete. It was supposed to be all consuming and mind altering.

Ignis thought he was rather complete on his own and wasn't much for having his mind altered. And, for all that he loved Noctis (and he did, more than anything in the world, more than he’d thought it possible, so much it made it hard to breath sometimes), there had been no instant ‘this is the one’ moment. There had just been him, staring down at a wide eyed three year old and wishing he could go home, return to the parents and life that had been lost to the seemingly endless fighting. And then Noctis, empathetic even then, taking him by the hand to show him his play room, letting him sleep in his bed, hugging him like no one had since his mother. And then a nearly two decade relationship wrought with frustration, impatience, arguments, and no small amount of misunderstandings. They’d liked each other, loved each other, hated each other, realized they couldn't seem to understand each other, gotten better, been closer friends for it, and now...well, now they were friends plus something else. He didn’t want to say more than friends, because that didn’t do justice to their friendship, but...something else.

A good something that, nonetheless, involved bickering and sarcasm and the occasional sword sharp comment. And making up. And sex.

There was quite a bit of that. Noctis was eager and always ready to go, ready to try new things and explore and, really, that was how he was in most things. It may have been affecting Ignis’ work but he challenged anyone to say no to Noctis when he was in their lap, purring and trying to ply them with rolls of his hips and sweet, perfect lingering kisses.

Ignis was only human and Noctis was...more.

There was even romance on occasion. Ignis didn’t hate it, after all, and his practicality didn’t mean he didn’t see a place for starry eyed romanticism and silly stolen moments, for professing his love in the best way he knew how (not words, but actions. With care. With home cooked meals and sneaking away to make love under the stars, with tangled fingers and knees pressed together under tables during meetings and quick kisses in dark alcoves.) How could he not when it was Noctis, who he’d followed on many a foolish adventure? Why say no now when he never had before? Age hadn’t made him any less willing to climb out of a window at Noctis’ behest (literally at one point, metaphorically now) or less happy to do whatever he could to see his prince smile.

Perhaps that was why it hurt so much to know that in this he’d allowed himself to believe in something impractical and, instead of it magically working out, reality had confronted them. Maybe that was why, when he walked into Noctis’ bedroom with a cup of bland, near clear broth in hand, he felt like he’d failed. Noctis was curled up on his side, a small lump amongst sheets that desperately needed changing, in the dark. He’d barely moved since Ignis had left him but that was to be expected.

Heat drop, again. The same as every heat Noctis had gone through before they’d gotten together and, it seemed, the same as every one they would experience together. The heat waned and exhaustion followed on its heels, as if every bit of energy in the prince was sucked away from him.

He was hypersensitive to touch, sound, taste, smell. Noctis said it hurt to breathe, to think, when he was like this, and even the simplest of tasks was just too much to even consider. He just wanted to sleep forever, or at least until all of his hormone levels evened out and the drop ended. Sometimes he yelled or cried or, in spite of being sore and miserable and needing someone around least he stay in bed for a week without taking care of himself, would order him to leave.

Noctis’ doctor had said there was a chance that an alpha could help with the drops, pheromones and contact and a bond all able to stabilize many omegas in the same position. But not Noctis or, perhaps, not Noctis while he was with him.

Ignis loved his prince more than he, sometimes, thought was strictly healthy. He couldn’t imagine a life without Noctis in it in some capacity. He could deny him very little, if anything, and honestly had never really wanted to.

The bond between them, even without a ‘real’ mating (no blood exchanged, no bites to break the skin, no scars left behind) was strong. He could feel Noctis through it stronger than some actual mated pairs through it, could follow it to him across the city if he ever needed to, used it to draw magic, to summon weapons, to read potential enemies, and sometimes to just know he was there. He did his best to keep up with him when he was in heat (in that area too he worried that he lacked. He’d tried just fucking Noctis through it a time or two but found it was just...too much, without the use of other methods and toys. He didn’t know if that was how it worked for everyone, since it was a subject most alphas would sooner take offense to being asked about rather than relate their own experience and Noctis was the only omega he’d ever bedded while in heat) kept him feed, hydrated, tended to his needs, made sure there was plenty of contact, but it wasn't quite enough.

He couldn't even do it all alone. Soon enough Prompto and Gladio would be by, Prompto able to provide the comfort only another omega could and Gladio to help Ignis out with the mundane bits and report back to the citadel that they were alive and well.

Ignis would, without hesitation, give up his life for Noctis, not because he was his prince but because he was Noctis (and there, again, he wondered if it was too much, if there was too much emotion) He would give him anything but no matter how much he wanted to this one thing just wasn’t in his power to give. All he could do was sit with Noctis, in the dark, and wait.

Maybe a different alpha would have been able to do something, to help like Ignis couldn't. Maybe he just wasn't enough.

“Maybe I should get pregnant.” Noct’s voice came from somewhere in the mess of blankets and twisted up sheets. Ignis jumped in surprise then, the words settling in, whipped his head around.

“Excuse me?”

Noctis peered out at him from under the sheet he was wrapped in, eyes dark and bloodshot. “No heats mean no heat drops.”

Ignis sputtered, a dozen reasons that was the worst idea he’d ever heard trying to tumble out of his mouth at once. What actually came out, his voice a strained croak, was “What?”

An eyebrow arched up. “What? You don't want to have pups with me?”

“ _What?!_ ” Diplomacy and negotiation were skills Ignis liked to think he possessed in spades bit if anyone could have seen him, bug eyed and stuttering, totally lost for words, they would have doubted it.

Noctis snorted softly. “I'm joking.”

Ignis sighed, deflating like a popped balloon.  “Your sense of humor is atrocious.”

“I’m sorry.” Noctis whispered, eyes sliding shut. “About this.”

“It’s hardly your fault.” Ignis said in a voice too even to be his own but maybe he’d just said it so many times that it was muscle memory. Internally he was, maybe, screaming. Frantically. He waited, bottom lip trapped between his teeth, to see if anything more would be said on the subject but Noctis appeared to be done speaking. And done scaring the hell out of him.

He didn’t even want to think about what Regis would do to him, unsure as the king already was about Ignis being both chamberlain and boyfriend, if Noctis turned up pregnant. Ignis was certain ‘to stop his heat drop’ wasn’t going to cut it as an excuse at the trial to decide whether to merely exile him or cut off his head to put on display for all future boyfriends to see.

“I smell bad.”

Ignis climbed onto the bed, uncaring of the damp sheets and suspicious stiffness in places, to settle next to the lump that was his omega. He reached carefully into the nest to make enough space to nuzzle against Noctis.

“I like the way you smell.”

The omega scoffed and batted at him in weak irritation. “You're a gross alpha. Don't count.”

That was fair. Ignis liked Noctis best when he was without clothes, smelling of him and sweat and sex, bright eyed, puffy lipped, and slick with his cum, plugged up by his knot. Noctis was, understandably, less fond of how he looked in those moments.

“I brought food.” Ignis said, fingers drifting through thick, dark hair. “And your medication,  if you're up to it.”

Noctis muttered and grumbled even as he forced himself to sit up then leaned into Ignis, letting the alpha support most of his weight. Ignis reached for what he'd brought with him, passing two small pills and water to Noct before picking up the broth.

Brows furrowed. “That isn't food. It's water with vegetable flavoring. It barely tastes like anything.”

“It's fish consomme.” Ignis corrected lightly, too used to his boyfriend’s post heat snappiness to take it to heart. Noctis was in pain and upset but the worst he ever said or did was whine about food, a small miracle. And it _was_ weaker than he'd normally make it, so he wasn't wrong about it being bland. “It's what I use in the shrimp dumpling soup you like to claim is your favorite.”

There was a little huffing as pills, something for the pain, were taken and water sipped until it was gone. There was a shot, hormone replacement, the latest in attempts to counteract the worst of the heat drop, and Noctis winced, frowned, and then slumped down after, looking exhausted. He dozed, which wasn't unusual, and woke up once for a shower where the water was too hot and the cloth too rough no matter how Ignis tried, apologized for nearly crying from the pain, and then slept again.

He drank the reheated broth haltingly the next time he was awake, nibbled at some crackers, and looked wary the entire time. Ignis sat quietly, fingers rubbing what he hoped were soothing circles on Noct’s bare skin, daring to hope that maybe-

But no, Noctis barely had half the cup down before he was frantically shoving it into Ignis’ hand and leaning over the bed. The garbage can was there, moved to be within reach by Ignis that morning, and waiting for the inevitable. Ignis kept his hair back, murmured comfortingly, and offered more water after.

“I hate this.” Noctis told him, like he'd told him dozens of times before.

“I wish I could do more.” Ignis said back, familiar words that tasted bitter on his tongue and rang hollow.

I wish love conquered all and made everything right, was what he meant.

**Author's Note:**

> I do take suggestions of weird aboverse things to explore. And this is just for fun and to explore things and thus will be updated whenever the mood hits/something inspires.


End file.
